Stefanie
Some cities just know how to do it right.
Whether it’s small details that make everyday life smoother or big, bold ideas that change the way people move through public spaces, briliant urban design can make all the difference.
From cleverly placed seating to genius pedestrian-friendly features, these design choices prove that a little thoughtfulness goes a long way.
If you’ve ever wished your city had a few more smart solutions, these urban design wins might just make you jealous.
1. These Lines Go Up The Wall So You Can Park Perfectly In Between The Lines
2. This Car Park Has Been Converted Into A Solar Energy Farm Giving Shade And Cover Below
3. In The UK, Redundant Telephone Boxes Are Being Repurposed As Public Defibrillators
4. Someone Chopped Down A Tall Tree To Get A Better View Of Sydney Harbour So The Put Up A Tall Sign Where It Once Was To Block The View
5. This Crack In The Pavement Filled With A Stained Glass Cat Portrait
6. In Vancouver, Trained Raptors (And Handlers) Have Been Hired To Keep Aggressive Seagulls Away From Public Eating Areas
7. These Public Swing Powered Chargers For Your Phone In A Train Station
8. A Video Surveillance Public Meetup
9. UPS In Italy Uses These “Bicycle Trucks” To Deliver Packages To Places In Narrow Streets Of Rome
10. This Park Has A Swing For Wheelchair Users
11. These Bins In Sweden Show You What To Recycle
12. Cool Bike Repair Equipment On A Bike Path
13. These Public Benches Are Reversible, So You Can Choose To Look At People, Or Boats
14. My City Protects New Trees With Guards Painted To Like Carrots
15. Traffic Light With Shining Pole
16. These Parking Spaces Have Folding Bars That Lock To Keep People From Parking In Their Spots
17. A Bench Designed For Homeless People So They Can Sleep On It
18. Public Air Shower In Tokyo To Blow Pollen Off Hay Fever Sufferers
19. This Car Park In France Has Soft Barriers Between Parking Spaces To Stop People Scratching Other Cars
20. The Park Benches In My City Has Built-In Umbrellas
21. Solar Park Bench With USB Charging Ports
22. My City Has Public Defibrillation Stations And The Sign For It Looks Like A Video Game Health Bar
23. This Cross Walk Signal Button Has Signage For Blind People Showing Exactly How Many Lanes They Have To Cross And Direction Of Traffic
24. This Mcdonalds Has A “Drive-Thru” For Boats. Located In Hamburg, Germany
25. The County Of Maui Has Public Sunscreen So People Use Reef Safe Sunscreen
26. A Public Cat Food Dispenser
27. My City Has Pencil Style Bollards Around School Areas
28. A Machine At Heathrow Airport So You Can Refill Your Water Bottle After Security So You Don’t Need To Throw It Away
29. Bus Stop In Norway With Books You Can Read While You Wait
30. In Morocco, Utility Poles Are Disguised As Palm Trees
31. This Hourglass Shaped Traffic Light
32. This Public Ashtray To Discourage Littering
33. A Public Bike Stand With A Built-In Pump
34. The Narrowest Street Of Prague
35. In Rotterdam, The Netherlands, We Have A Traffic Light For Cyclists That Plays A Song When The Light Is Red. The Song It Plays Is The Last Song Played On The Phone Of Someone Who Passed Away Due To A Traffic Accident That Occurred Because He Was Paying Too Much Attention To His Phone
Read more: 35 Times People Restored Pinterest DIY Fails Back To Their Original Glory